George Rogers Clark

George Rogers Clark (19 November 1752-13 February 1818) was a Brigadier-General of the Virginia militia of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Clark was the older brother of William Clark, the famous explorer, and George Rogers Clark was best-known for his major achievements during the revolution, including the 1778 Illinois campaign and the Battle of Piqua in 1780.

Biography
George Rogers Clark was born on 19 November 1752 in Charlottesville, Virginia, and he attended Donald Robertson's school with James Madison before becoming a surveyor. Clark served as a captain in the Virginia militia after Lord Dunmore's War broke out in 1774, and he was one of the colonists who pushed the frontier into Kentucky. When the American Revolutionary War broke out, Clark rose to the rank of colonel, and in 1778 Patrick Henry asked him to lead an expedition against Great Britain and the Native Americans in Illinois to stop the British and Indians from raiding along the frontier. Clark and 175 troops took Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes with little opposition, fooling Governor Henry Hamilton into believing that he had superior forces. His campaign had been carried out without the support of the Continental Army or financial backing, and George Washington used it to persuade the Kingdom of France to ally with the United States. In 1781, Thomas Jefferson promoted him to Brigadier-General, and he led an expedition into native lands that culminated in the 8 August 1780 victory at the Battle of Piqua against the Shawnee. Clark was credited with doubling the size of the United States due to his role in the conquest of the West, and he ended the war at the age of 30. However, his greatest achievements were behind him, as an expedition in 1790 failed due to desertion, and his reputation was tarnished by allegations that he was a drunkard. He died in 1818, having lived a life full of financial difficulties; his brother William Clark would assist in the discovery of the land up to the Pacific Ocean.